Kayo Main Event - How to watch Boxing live in Australia

Since its launch over two decades ago, access to Main Event has always required access to Foxtel (or, in earlier years, Optus Vision and Austar). But with the huge success of Kayo at delivering high definition live and on-demand sports coverage via streaming, it made sense for Main Event to join forces with Kayo to deliver the same premium events to a streaming audience. A subscription to Kayo is not required, and you’ll have access to all of Kayo during the access window for your event. It makes it easier than ever to get a bunch of friends together to watch the big fight in the comfort of your lounge room.

Yes it is! Kayo did a test of hosting a Main Event boxing showdown earlier in 2020, and it was a big enough success that Kayo will now be another way of accessing all events on the channel, at the same price you’d pay to buy it on Foxtel. The main differences with Kayo are potentially better picture quality, and the ability to stream the event on demand after it’s over without having to record it or wait for a rebroadcast.

Launched not long after Foxtel’s arrival, Main Event is Australia’s only pay-per-view broadcast channel, and has been delivering premium events ranging from boxing, wrestling and UFC to music concerts on a pay-to-access basis for over 20 years. You pay a one-time fee to access the event, after which you can watch it live and either record it to watch again later during your access time (on Foxtel) or stream it on-demand for that same length of time (on Kayo). All the sports and other events on Main Event are exclusive to the channel and can’t be seen anywhere else.

The price of any individual event varies – from around $20 to $30 for events like WWE wrestling, through to around $50-60 for the big boxing meets. Each event is a one-time payment and your access ends once the date range for the event does (you’ll be given the access dates on the page where you buy the event). The pricing is the same on both Foxtel and Kayo.

Yes – but only limited events or previews of them are available to stream as part of the standard Kayo subscription. The big-ticket events sometimes also show up on regular Kayo, but Main Event broadcasts the headline ones. When those happen, they’ll be accessible via your existing Kayo account by paying the Main Event ticket price, so you won’t miss out on the action.

While Kayo is part of the Foxtel group of companies, it’s run separately and works very differently. While Foxtel and its streaming counterpart Foxtel Now work like regular TV – with a range of live channels to choose from, and catch-up streaming for stuff you missed – Kayo is a full streaming service, where you access live and on-demand coverage by sport, rather than channel. Kayo also has many enhanced streaming features that Foxtel can’t match, including the ability to watch multiple sports on the screen at one time.

At the moment, you’ll pay exactly the same for Main Event fixtures, regardless of whether you want to watch on Foxtel or Kayo. It’s worth mentioning, though, that to access Main Event on Foxtel you need a basic Foxtel subscription active – while with Kayo, you don’t need a subscription at all. That makes Kayo a better choice if you don’t already have Foxtel installed. But if you’ve already got Foxtel, that might be the more convenient way to watch a Main Event because there’s no need to worry about streaming.

If you’re not already a Kayo subscriber, you’ll need to create a free Kayo account to buy a Main Event – but once you’ve paid for the event, you’ll have full access to all of Kayo Sports – all the live sports streams, and all on-demand content. That access continues until several days after your event has finished.

Whether it’s Main Event or Kayo’s huge range of other sports, the best way to stream it is by using a streaming device that has a Kayo app available. Apple TV, and Chromecast with Google TV are all great choices. Alternatively, you can cast the stream from your phone or tablet with a Chromecast Ultra on your TV, or use the built-in Kayo app on recent Samsung smart TVs and Sony Android TVs.

Yes – once you’ve paid for access to the event, you’ll be able to stream it via the Foxtel Go app on your phone or tablet wherever you are, as well as via the Foxtel website on your laptop or desktop PC or Mac.

No – you’ll need to buy the event from Kayo’s own Main Even page if you’d prefer the extra streaming access that Kayo grants you during the event period. The price is the same as Foxtel’s, so pick the one that works better for you – easy access via broadcast on Foxtel, or extra streaming options on Kayo.

Signing up for a Foxtel account will require you to setup a debit account. All you need is a valid Visa, MasterCard or American Express debit or credit card.
You can also change accounts or make a payment with a new card.
Foxtel will also require a pre-authorisation check, which will automatically be conducted with your bank. As such, your bank will temporarily hold $1, which will be returned within 30 days.